


Old Cyborg Soldier and The Sea

by CardboarianNights



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fishing, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pinning, Slice of Life, a not-so-down-in-the-dumps cyborg!jack fic, coping with memory issues in a healthy way, gabe loves Jack so damn much its obvious, gabriel fucking rigs everything, geriatric adventures at the beach, he's an octopus mermaid when in the water, non-sexual mention of sexual parts, old dog romance, old men and the sea, shapeshifter!Gabe, short term memory issues, you can do that as a sea god
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-02 05:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14537457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CardboarianNights/pseuds/CardboarianNights
Summary: Jack Morrison is a geriatric, old tech cyborg looking to spent his twilight years in the old person capital of the United States, Florida.He now lives in a cobbled together shack made of old planks and steel plates on an abandoned beach with Poseidon's great-great-great-great-grandson-or-something. His companionship is something Jack treasures very much, especially with his short-term memory issues, and how lonely he feels.A feel good story featuring a 70+ year old cyborg Jack and his sometimes frustrating companion from the sea.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> we need more happy cyborg jack fics. :)

Jack hasn't ever regretted moving down south - following the call of warmth, sand, and the elderly retirement paradise that Florida was known for. 

Well, it WAS also known for Disney World, but fuck that tourist trap. 

He was in his seventies now, and living like Hemingway on the ocean shore sounded like a fantastic idea, minus picking up the guy’s raging alcohol addiction.

In his shack, near a rarely-used pier of questionable structural integrity, Jack greeted every morning with much more contentment than he used to in the past. Got up, made enough coffee to fill two thermos (one with more milk and sugar than he would like), stuffed them into his bait box with a tuna fish sandwich he prepared the previous night, and then finally making himself some eggs and bacon for breakfast. 

Setting the now-dirty plate onto the one he forgot to wash the previous day, he scolded himself mentally for the oversight before quickly picking up a dry erase marker and heading over to the wall that held an enormous, old-school dry erase board he got at the dump. Moving past the categories of items he needed to remember, Jack’s eyes mechanically adjusted as he went to the ‘do today’ section, putting the reminder under several other memos he jotted down last night.

Glancing back up at the other two items above the one he wrote, Jack reached into his cargo pants pocket to pull out a worn down memo book, making sure it was there before putting it back and pulling out a fresher-looking memo pad and pen. He quickly jotted down the memo on the board on a fresh sheet of paper labeled ‘Friday’ in his own handwriting. With that done, Jack tucked the memo book and pen away before heading over to grab his bait box and pulled the strap over one shoulder. 

He slipped his sandals on by the door and took the door key with him that hung on a neon pink-colored hair tie on the door handle, preventing him from overlooking it. Jack frowned at that knowledge before reaching up to grab his hat from the hook on the wall and plopped it down on his bald head. He might be an old cyborg with his short-term memory acting up but he still had a very important job that needed tending to. 

Last thing he needed to deal with was a crabby sea god suffering from caffeine withdrawal.

Pulling the hair tie snug over his wrist, Jack grabbed his fishing rod off the wall, a large bag to store fish, and headed out of his shack, turning around to lock the door before pulling the hair tie back over his wrist. With one prosthetic arm resting on his bait box and the other one holding the rod against his shoulder with the storage bag, Jack stepped out onto the firm sand of the abandoned beach. Large rocks littered the beach along with a few lumps of trash that he would clean up later, not needing to make note of that huge eyesore as he made his way over to the old pier.

Speaking of ‘eyesore’, Gabriel was already making his way over to Jack, clearly too impatient to wait for him at the end of the dock today, it seemed.The sea god strutted completely naked down the rotting boards of the pier without fear of splinters or public indecency charges since it really was hard to access this beach. Jack just rolled his eyes as he kept walking towards Gabriel and noticed his wonderfully long hair was braided and on display over his left shoulder, showing off his elegant beauty befitting of a god.

Now, if only he stopped trolling Jack by intentionally making his penis small and keeping him guessing on his actual size…

Jack felt his chin tilted upwards from the genitals he was busy glaring at to a pair of amused brown eyes and felt his face heat up in embarrassment, Gabriel's index finger keeping him from looking away as it stayed put under the cyborg’s chin.

“It's not going to get any bigger with you glaring at it so harshly, Jackie.” The current sea god smirked in amusement, leaning in to press his forehead to Jack’s in greeting before taking a step back. 

Jack pursed his lips together at that tease before begrudgingly taking a step forward into Gabriel’s space to reciprocate, pressing his own forehead to Gabriel’s. “Good morning to you too, Gabe.” He grumbled, keeping their foreheads pressed together to enjoy what little physical contact he could dig up the courage to hold between them, his heart pounding in his chest from the rush he got from it.

Gabriel chuckled at Jack’s grumpiness but didn’t make a move to seperate them or chide the humanoid cyborg of being too familiar or something… Jack wasn’t exactly too sure why the proud god allowed Jack to impose himself on him when they met or parted, and figured it smarter to just not ask. 

A familiar hand reached into his left cargo pants pocket before Gabriel took a smaller step back, opening up the newer memo book before gesturing silently with his head for Jack to follow him. Jack didn’t mind Gabriel taking the memo book, it was one of the few habits that the god habitually took part in that helped solidify the routine into Jack’s memory. This was in addition to their usual route to their fishing spot by moving back and forth across the pier planks to avoid the rotted pitfalls.

The sea god didn’t even have to look where he was going as he flipped the pages carefully with his fingers, humming in approval to himself before he made a small hop over two rotted plank, stepping forward and waiting for Jack to join him over the planks then continuing forward. “I see! Your doctor appointment yesterday with Dr. Ziegler and Dr. Lindholm went well!” Gabriel joyfully approved, turning to the left to walk all the way across the length of a plank instead of proceeding forward, stepping up on a half-destroyed wooden pillar before hopping across to the next without even looking up to gauge the distance. He hopped down onto the planks at the end of the pier that they were maintaining, and then turned, lowering the memo book for a moment to intentionally sprout up a pillar of water from the ocean to allow Jack to cross easily on the boards Gabe had anchored to the bottom of the pier with rope.

Jack nodded his head at that, remembering the two doctors coming over to visit but not so much the specifics of what they discussed. He crossed with ease across the boards to the next pillar and stepped down next to Gabriel. Jack heard the rushing water subsided before the telling sounds of the anchored planks hitting the surface several meters below. Jack then set down his rod on the pier before pulling off the strap to his bait box, Gabriel sitting down with him as the cyborg started unpacking while the god continued reading the medical summary of the visit.

“So, it seems your blood values have stabilized and that your liver is growing healthier.” Gabriel hummed in approval as he turned to the next page. “Very good. Bringing a very fresh fish population to this pier has been working wonders on your body based on the doctor’s medical analysis. What is concerning is this note you made of going to the salvage lot again this week.” The god ended off, sounding concerned after Jack remembered attempting to write that last one in code only for Gabriel to decode it easily. There really was no point in trying to hide anything with his short term memory issues or trying to deceive his good friend and neighbor.

Jack frowned at that reminder as he was busy stringing up his rod after setting out both of their thermos. He chewed on the inside of his cheek before eventually letting out a defeated sigh. “Yeah. Torbjorn says I need some new wiring for my hands.”

“And you can’t afford the minimum payments for fresh wiring next visit after the maintenance and travel fees for having both doctors this month…” Gabriel finished, much to Jack annoyance. 

He already was a charity case for both doctors but was too stubborn to admit that he couldn’t get the money he needs to care for himself on government checks alone. Going to the city dump could get him the money he needed for the fresh rewire along with finding useful things like the classroom-sized dry erase board he used to keep himself organized at home. Gabriel shouldn’t need to be so concerned for him since he has long taken care of himself without issue.

A disappointed sigh came from Gabriel beside him, Jack continuing to string up his lure without response. The cyborg saw the god pick up the thermos from his peripheral vision, and heard the top pop off before a long stream of silence between them. The ocean’s waves rolling and crashing lightly up against the pier’s pillars under them to fill the void as Jack finished readying his rod. Setting it down carefully to avoid tangling the fishing line, Jack reached for his own thermos and took a long sip from it, eyeing his bait box to try to decide what lure he should start out with first today.

After selecting a bait and affixing it to the end of his fishing line, Jack groaned as he pushed himself up, the prosthetic nerves in his legs aching at the attachment point since the doctors insisted he take them off yesterday. His nerve connections were always sensitive to the adjustments the doctors made to the settings, especially after recentering the nerve cables, but he would get over it soon. 

Now fully standing, Jack was careful of the sea god sitting with his feet hanging over the pier, and occupied with his memo book, as he readied to cast out his line before pausing. His eyes narrowed at a giant fish, possibly an atlantic tuna, that suddenly darted away into the darkness when Jack made eye contact with it, and let his cybernetic eyes zoom in on the other fish that were now oddly in his casting range before turning to glare down at Gabriel. 

“Hey, Aquaman! Make your fish posse scram. They’re scaring away the locals.” Jack grumbled down at Gabriel in annoyance, growing even more ticked off at the sea god’s indifference as the deity picked up his thermos casually and took a slow drink from it before he set it down.

“Strange.” Gabriel remarked lazily as he continued to focus on the memo pad on his lap. “It’s like they followed me of their own free wi-”

Jack immediately huffed at that. “Oh, don’t give me that shit! You said it yourself earlier! You’ve been bringing ‘fresh fish’ to the pier that WANT to get reeled in without a fight, but shit like atlantic tuna will break my damn rod from how much they weigh!”

Gabriel merely hummed dismissively at that, making the rod in Jack’s hand groan from how tightly he was squeezing it in his cybernetic hand.

“Can you, for once, not be such an arrogant ass?!” He grumbled at Gabriel, wanting him to understand his point of view for once instead of pushing all these sacrificial fish onto him. “I would like to earn my meal for once!”

“Haven’t you been doing that all your life though?” The sea god asked dismissively, closing the memo book and holding it up for Jack to take.

Jack narrowed his eyes at Gabriel and took the small memo book, shoving it into his pocket and zipping it up securely. “The hell is that suppose to mean? Of course everyone works for their food! Humans, that is!”

Gabriel huffed at that. “You’re nitpicking, Jack. Humans rarely hunt for their own food nowadays unless that is their society and/or job! Or are you saying you went hunting every single day before coming here, Geezer?” He rightly shot back, even taking a swing at Jack’s seniority status, for once. “I bet the only time you ever ate fish was from a can!”

Jack balked at that in return. “How DARE you assume- ...! ” He quickly deflated before stubbornly turning back to the sea and cast out his line.

“Yeah. Thought so.” Gabriel remarked as he watched Jack begrudgingly take a seat right next to him on the dock. Even with that said, Gabriel still scooted over after Jack got settled and rested his head against the cyborg’s shoulder, holding his thermos in his lap. “There isn’t anything wrong with that, by the way, eating food even if you can’t get it fresh from the land yourself...” 

Jack hummed dismissively at that, still miffed at the earlier jabs but still willing to listen to the sea god even with how stubborn as he could be. Gabriel was the only real consistent person to come out and visit him, almost like a friend…

If one could call a bored, naked sea god a ‘friend’.

“Why are you always naked anyways?”

There was a brief paused before Gabriel let out a rather humorous snort at that. “You haven’t bought me clothing yet.” He replied contently, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Jack rolled his eyes at that, not minding Gabriel’s crowding of his shoulder as he rested the base of his fishing rod between his thighs. It was kind of comforting to have Gabriel around, regardless of how ridiculous it could get with the guy not holding back when he should. At least he stopped bringing bags full of spanish gold coins whenever he dropped by…

“Oh right.” Jack spoke before reaching into his back pocket and taking out his smartphone. Using one hand, Jack unlocked his phone and pulled up his phone’s browser app. “Actually, can you hold the rod for a bit?” He asked, feeling Gabriel lift his head off his shoulder before watching him offer his hand. Jack handed over his rod as he started tapping away on the phone screen’s keyboard, knowing that a certain someone was eagerly watching over his shoulder instead of paying attention to the line.

His fingers tapped rapidly on the screen, looking for nearby second-hand stores and such near the dump where he could pick up some cheap clothing at the same time for Gabriel. Not willing to risk another shirt and shorts to the sea god’s boredom should he plunge back into the ocean with them on again. Receiving Spanish gold coins was worthless since he couldn’t trade them in too often without attracting unwanted attention. Last thing he needed was thieves breaking into his shack.

Urgh… Why can’t things be a bit more normal between them?

“What’s a ‘thrift store’?” The sea god curiously asked. 

Jack just kept quiet as he continued to scroll through his phone before it was clear that Gabriel was waiting on him to answer.

“It’s a place where I plan on getting clothing for you that will be okay to tear to shreds.”

Gabriel nodded his head at that. “I’ll just overlook the fact that you’re getting me hand-me-downs from other people than the ones off your own back then since you put it that way.” He remarked plainly, making Jack pause for a good long moment before wearily realizing he was probably massively insulting a literal god on Earth, one of POSEIDON'S descendants no less!

“... You sure it’s okay?”

A mischievous smile curled on Gabriel's as he looked up at Jack. “Bring me with you and I’ll make it worth your time.” 

Any fragment of doubt of an Odyssey-level beatdown coming his way was dashed completely by Gabriel’s almost-playful smile as the god was no doubt sincere about wanting to come along. It wasn't a line of questioning that Jack was going to tempt to ask, least he remind his friend that he could make his live a total hell to get him to do his bidding.

“Somehow, I don't think this is the first time you’ve ventured out into human society, Gabe...” 

Gabriel just grinned in response. “I’ve never gone exploring with you though, Jack.”

Jack’s cybernetic eyes adjusted as he looked at his friend skeptically, wondering if there was deeper meaning in that or not. Gabriel was certainly an attractive sea god, and, to be honest, Jack didn't really see much merit in him coming along to go to the thrift store. Also, he had all sorts of concerns about Gabriel being away from his element for too long. What if he collapsed or something and shifted back into a half octopus person on the street?

Not to mention Jack’s unreliable memory issues and such…

Still…

Gabriel looked at him with so much interest and Jack couldn't help but want to please him if it was as simple as taking him to a thrift store. He also couldn't ignore the warmth that stirred inside of him thinking about the two of them walking together and maybe having a light lunch together. Something that wasn't fish or from the sea. 

Jack’s heart picked up a bit more at that fantasy, very much pinning for his friend but was more interested in Gabriel enjoying himself. He wanted to know what human activities put a smile on the sea god's lips, and drew out that playfulness Jack knew was in him; When he wasn't intentionally trying to be a little shit, that is.

“Fine.” He sighed heavily in defeat. It wouldn't be too bad since Gabriel wasn't oblivious to the advancement of human society and Jack did have older clothes that might fit the god since he could clearly modify his body.

Gabriel smiled happily at that, passing the rod back to Jack after he tucked his phone away. 

Jack couldn’t help but notice how fast his heart was beating from this whole, pleasant exchange. Gabriel had always been there for Jack, day in and out, no matter how severe the weather was. The man- No, god, was steadfast in his resolve to always keep his insane promise to Jack, making sure he was well cared for in his twilight years. Why a literal god wanted to keep him close and comfortable was beyond Jack’s own comprehension, even when he recorded their rather normal first encounter in his older notepad.

Was it love at first sight? Curiosity?

Or just mutual loneliness?

Jack knew better than to assume anything with a god. 

Best to just humor Gabriel and enjoy what time he was willing to spend with Jack until he got fed up and returned to the sea for good. 

Jack wasn’t exactly sure if he could bare that kind of departure in his old age…

Why tolerate his deteriorating body and mind when there was only his notepads and his many yellowing journals back at the shack? Besides… 

Why live in a place they both built together when one of them would never occupy its space again?

If he were maybe twenty years younger then Jack would not be so heavy hearted about this whole drama he was building up in his head. His heart squeezed in a merciless vice at the idea of a goodbye as he watched Gabriel turn away and walk back into the ocean. Walk back in there like they never mattered and Jack was so easily forgettable to a being that never aged or died. That he was nothing more than rusted old parts barely keeping a failing flesh body upright…

A warm, piece of cloth was pressed against the corner of Jack’s eye, making reality come back into focus as he turned to see Gabriel still next to him; Their thighs pressed together on the pier, Gabriel’s toes brushing over the exposed skin of Jack’s shin as it lazily dragged up and down. Jack could see the sea god’s wild brown locks frizzing outwards from his elegant braid in the humid heat this close; A thin, cheap piece of bleached, braided rope holding the braid together, as if Gabriel decided the hair style at the last moment and used whatever was around to bind it into place. Jack felt warmth bubble up in himself at the thought of the perfect sea god scrambling for a makeshift hair tie before Jack exited the cobbled pile of driftwood and steel plates that made up the shack. 

Gabriel’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he looked, Jack tensing up a bit at the idea he was being too obvious. “What?”

Jack felt his lips twist as he tried his best to suppress his amusement. Oh, god, Gabriel REALLY did use a piece of rope to secure his glorious hair. He couldn’t resist reaching out with one metal hand and playfully flicking the end of Gabriel’s braid to bring the god’s attention down to it. Gabriel jerked away, as if stung by Jack’s touch, and flushed beautifully in embarrassment.

It was coincidentally at that moment that Jack felt the telling tug of a fish taking the bait at the end of his fishing line, he thought sarcastically. Jack smiled smugly as he turned back to the sea and pushed himself up to stand. With his attention focused on the fish fighting him on the end of his line, Jack began to slowly draw the line in before stopping, following the direction the fish went in a battle of attrition.

There was no question that Gabriel spurred one of the fish to take the bait and draw attention off him. Gabriel was very proud of his appearance to the point of vanity unless the situation demand otherwise- That being moments of hard labor when they constructed the shack, and his general disposition to walk around naked just to be a little shit. Jack understood Gabriel was flaunting his ability to shapeshift his form but, god, did it really drive Jack up the wall to deal with his crush being such a cocktease.

This situation was just delicious payback even if it didn’t come even close to chipping the tip off the mountain that Gabriel deserved tossed back at it. Little moments like this DID have a way of surprising the sea god when Jack took initiation and it was always totally worth what little bit of humiliation he could garner.

Jack grinned as he finally pulled the fish out of the water, a modestly-sized spotted sea trout flailing wildly at the end of the hook. Grabbing the fish firmly in his hand, the poor thing tried to thrash his way out of a cyborg’s iron grip, like every other fish he pulled from the sea, and pulled the hook out of its lips. Passing the rod over to Gabriel, Jack kneeled down, killing the fish and putting it into the bag. He pulled the zipper shut once the fish was secure inside the instant cooling bag to keep them fresh.

Turning back to Gabriel, he took the rod offered back to him and set it down to open up his bait box. After affixing the bait, Jack closed the box and stood back up. He walked over to the edge of the pier and casted his line out into the sea, sitting back down next Gabriel to get settled once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriel seemed to come around after they arrived back at the shack, the sea god slipping on a pair of Jack’s old cargo pants from the army before sitting down on the pile of mismatched couch cushions; aka ‘the couch’. Jack was busy gutting his own fish at the makeshift counter while Gabriel’s stayed facedown in a bucket with reusable ice packs. Gabriel didn’t really like to waste any parts of his fish, whereas Jack enjoyed eating his fish cleaned.

“So, what do you want for sides tonight, Gabe?” Jack asked as he slid the gory insides off the cutting board and into the plastic waste bag hooked on the edge of the counter.

He heard Gabriel shift on the cushion pile and let out a long, exhausted groan. Jack rolled his eyes at that since the spoiled sea god literally did nothing but sit in his shadow and bother him while he got them dinner. He paused at that thought and remembered how Gabriel normally looked when he was submerged in the sea. Maybe being shifted to pass as a human took a lot out of him?

But, weren’t they out for maybe two hours maximum?

Jack set down his knife to look over his shoulder. Gabriel was comfortably curled up with a thin sheet pulled over him on the cushion pile; looking rather pleased with the content look on his face. He wasn’t shifting back to his sea form in the comfort and safety of the shack so whatever he did out at sea before Jack got up clearly hadn’t worn him out too much. It wasn’t like Jack wasn’t prepared out the ass to accommodate his shifting companion with the numerous, large storage containers he had placed by all the spots Gabriel liked to snooze - mostly the cushion pile and at the foot of the bed. 

Gabriel could shift into his strange combination of octopus, coral, and kelp here without worry of drying out. Just fill one of the containers up halfway before bed and Gabriel is rather content to stay the night. Was kind of hard dealing with the smell if Jack couldn’t pass out before Gabriel lets himself fully unwind…

Bringing himself back to his current conundrum, Jack figured some angel hair pasta and green beans would sound good. Gabriel never seemed to mind what he ate but was that because the body with him at the shack was basically a puppet and couldn’t taste…? No, Gabriel wouldn’t have gotten addicted to the coffee he mistakenly took at the coffee shop the day they met. 

…

Right?

“Gabe?”

Fabric ruffled behind Jack as Gabriel shifted on the couch. “Mm…?”

Jack swallowed nervously at the many questions he wanted to ask. “Where are you, exactly?” 

He cringed at that highly personal question as he brought the knife down and severed the head of the fish on the chopping board. Christ, can he be anymore of a nosy asshole to a guy who basically helped him out at his lowest point in life?! He snapped his eyes shut as he wished for time to reverse itself so he could ask a more casual question to his best friend and roommate!

“... Nnn-...? I guess it’s pretty dark.” Gabriel replied lazily, prompting Jack to hesitantly peek over his shoulder to see Gabriel rolled over onto his back and idly scratching his belly with his hand. The sea god just lazing about like a bored house cat in the comfort of its own domain.

Jack pursed his lips and set down the knife, turning to face Gabriel completely as his heart raced anxiously in his chest. “You mean the ocean floor…?” He asked quietly, unsure if Gabriel was toying with him or not because the man did have his eyes closed.

“Yeah…” Gabriel murmured as he opened his eyes and rolled his head to look over at Jack with a solemn expression. “It’s… it’s difficult to open my eyes nowadays. I spend so much time in my body that sometimes I forget that I’m really somewhere else far, far away from the surface.” He remarked sadly before a small smile lifted his lips. 

Jack felt guilty as he gripped the sleeve of his shirt after crossing his arms, looking away from his friend in shame for even asking. “I appreciate what you do for all of us, Gabe.” He offered, wanting to give Gabriel some form of praise that he likely never hears in this day and age. Long gone were the times when gods had temples and devotes singing their hearts out for the world to hear. The pantheon was nothing more than stories to modern society studied by anthropologists and high schoolers…

A warm chuckle rumbled from Gabriel, helping Jack relax as he watched his friend sit up on the couch and wrap the thin sheet around himself like a burrito. “I know, and I appreciate you, in return, Jackie. You’re old, wrinkly, and far past your prime but… I certainly don’t mind what we have here.” He smiled wonderfully, making Jack’s old heart slam against his chest at the possible double meaning of his words.

“... Me…?” Jack laughed incredulously as he placed a hand on the counter to steady himself. What was wrong with him? Getting light-headed at the thought of reciprocation? At his age??! He brought his other hand up to cover his flushing face as he grumbled in embarrassment. 

A literal old geezer like himself was acting like a fresh face maiden when he should be in some senior home in a rocking chair.

“... I may never leave the sea floor but I hope that the me here is satisfactory enough.” Gabriel smiled sheepishly when Jack peeked at him through his fingers. The sea god then paused before pushing out his arms through the slips in the burrito and looked down at his flexing finger tips critically. “I mean… I guess I could go and find better parts to better solidify this form.” He remarked before looking back up at Jack curiously. “It can’t be fun waking up next to a coral-rough body nor a water-logged mattress.”

Jack snickered before throwing his head back to bark out in laughter. “You’re ridiculous, Gabe!” He laughed, brushing aside the tears building up in the corners of his eyes. “Of course I hate waking up to a cold wet bed!” Grinning like a maniac as Gabriel started cracking up with him as he slapped his hands to his thighs. “You know how hard it is to find a used bed that isn’t infested with nipping bugs and under one hundred credits?!”

“I’m sorry!” Gabriel cackled out as he wiped the tears rolling down with his blanket-covered arm!

Jack just barked out harder in laughter, practically keeling over from how much it hurt. “Now you’re getting my sheet all wet again! You heartless seaweed pile!” He wheezed out before feeling a sharp pain suddenly clench around his chest, Jack’s hand shooting to his chest as he gasped out.

Something warm and sticky wrapped around him as he felt himself collapse under the overwhelming stress. His body pulled onto something hard and course, warm to the touch but also heavily smelling of sea salt and while the surface was uneven to lay properly on, something firm was wrapped around his wrists like rope but flexed like it was alive to keep him from sliding off. A loud thump in Jack’s chest cause his whole torso to bounce before he settled back down on the hard, curved surface; His pacemaker being forcefully reset by his old, internal defibrillator. The device installed with a lot of other hardware to keep a much younger Jack fighting even when on the verge of death...

On the second shock, Jack’s pacemaker and heart started functioning properly, the intense weakness fading as his blood circulated once more. He gasped for breath to make up the second his breath faltered, panting lightly as he rested his cheek against the side of the rough, solid surface that was barely propping him up. It has been a long time since his pacemaker choked out like that but his refibrillator was there for the save since his pacemaker was designed to handle the high voltage jolts without shorting out. 

He let out a relieved sigh as he felt a familiar tentacle caress his cheek, the leathery touch dragged awkwardly against his skin but it beat the side with the suckers. Jack could see Gabe doing that to get a laugh out of him but considering he had a heart attack during a fit of laughter that might be true case of ‘too soon’ to not be awkward.

“...M’fine…” Jack grumbled weakly as he rested his eyes, knowing that Gabriel likely shifted since he was still paranoid of being ‘electrocuted’ in his human form. What a nerd. The pull and pushing of his thinning cheek skin felt so nice, especially with the muscle in his jaw getting an awkward massage. 

‘What did I ever do to deserve Gabriel?’ He thought as he felt himself slowly going more horizontal as the minutes passed, Gabriel likely in the process of shifting back.

Feeling rather depressed at the moment for raining on their parade, Jack couldn't get past the guilt he felt as Gabriel, once again, was there for him when he was used to recovering alone. Gabriel, who set up a way to tackle Jack’s forgetfulness by treating it less like carelessness and more like a condition that could be controlled; Gave him his first notebook to write down important daily happenings that Jack didn't want to forget before Jack eventually took control of the idea to build up the system he had now. Instead of getting frustrated like everyone else until this point in his life, Gabriel just accepted and never took it personally if Jack didn't write down a small detail he wanted Jack to remember.

It was tough reading and re-reading his notebook over and over every morning to remember conversations they had the previous week, slowly integrating it all into his long term memory where it would be safe. Gabriel meant so much to Jack that he was fine with the stress of re-reading things he grew bored off; What Gabriel thought of sand, what Gabriel liked about swimming, etc. It was worth it to not have to sound like a broken record with his eventual best friend.

“I know you’re just a boulder right now but… I wasn't kidding when I said that I appreciate you…” Jack mumbled quietly to Gabriel, knowing he was aware of what he was saying even as a monstrosity of coral, octopus and seaweed. “I just…” He strained, too scared to flat out say his feelings as they lodged themselves in his throat. “You’ve been so patient with me…! You don't even get anything out of it!” Jack’s voice cracked as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Why me? Why an old, worn down cyborg with a defective brain?”

As if spurned on by his words, Jack felt the boulder under him take on more human-like features. Like clay, the three components morphed and formed into a soft, naked Gabriel under Jack; the seaweed relaxing his legs and condensing upwards to reform into those long locks Jack loved running his fingers through. The tentacle on his cheek expanding and morphing into a hand that gently cupped the side of Jack’s face while the others reformed into his other arm or remained below Gabriel's waist. The coral grew more detailed and soft as Gabriel reformed completely from it, a heartbreakingly sad expression on his face as he used his other hand to sit both of them up.

“I love you too, Jack…!” Gabriel's voice croaked as tears began running down his face too, twisting Jack’s stomach as he crawled forward and wrapped his arms around him to pull him into his embrace. “I just wanted to be useful at first; Take care of one person who needed it the most since I can not care for the world like my ancestors could…!” He sniffled as he clung onto the back of Jack’s shirt. “What good is a god with no power, Jack?!”

Jack held Gabriel to him tightly as he kneeled down to more comfortably to straddle the sea god’s limp tentacles that made up his lower half. He loved Gabriel so much that it hurt to think they both needed each other as badly as they did. That, in some ways, the world forgot about both of them as it continued to move on; Jack, a weapon of war, and Gabriel, a sea god no one thought existed. It made Jack treasure their meeting that much more, especially for the blessing that Gabriel was to him.

Jack hiccuped in between his sobs as he let Gabriel cry into his shoulder. Both of them discarded but deeply linked because of that. “...I don't mind the bed being wet as much as you think.” He whispered to Gabriel, drawing a mixture of a sniffle and chuckle from the sea god burying his face into Jack’s shoulder.

“Regardless, I want to make a stronger body.” Gabriel smiled as he leaned away from Jack's shoulder to look at him. His teeth were still a firm band of hardened coral but slowly smoothing over as Gabriel’s body caught up with the earlier rapid shifting. 

It made Jack smile as he appreciated Gabriel even more so and leaned down to press his forehead affectionately against the sea god’s. His heart was swelling with love for this goofball from the sea and how happy he was to know his love was reciprocated. “Will I be without you for this?”

“No.” Gabriel answered with a chuckle. “it will take a while, maybe a few months, for myself in the deep to properly create a more solid puppet to send to you; It will be more like me for it will truely hold a piece of what can be called a ‘soul’.” He explained as Jack felt several of Gabriel's tentacles sheepishly wrap around his lower legs with the barest of holds. Was he possibly afraid of rejection…?

“May I kiss you?”

Gabriel’s smile widened as the sea god then nodded his head slowly. “As long as you like.”

Jack leaned down and met Gabriel’s lips with his own. 

\--

Jack never brought up the whole ‘replacement’ thing Gabriel spoke about as he just focused on the wonderful being walking alongside him. It was a wonderful thing to be in love, and be reminded of the little details he forgot about in the morning: 

Gabriel’s mischievous smile as they woke up naked and tangled in the bed sheet. The rush Jack felt as the sea god slipped his palm over his own and interlaced their fingers. How close Gabriel pressed up against his side when they ventured out into society to shop or just go on a date.

It was exhilarating to Jack as he found himself madly scrambling to jot down more notes before Gabriel would drag him into bed. The man was a cuddle monster, and down right demanding in the most insufferable fashion that Jack couldn’t help but find endearing.

It didn’t dawn on the elderly cyborg that things were gradually going downhill for Gabriel until he noticed how lethargic and unfocused the sea god could be.

It had been half a year since they started dating and it took Gabriel’s forearm losing its ability to hold form to really wake Jack up.

“Is there something wrong with the tide?” Jack asked quietly as they sat side-by-side on the pier. Both of them plucking salty fries from a large, paper bucket between them as Jack alternated between popping a fry in his mouth and tossing one out to the damn tuna that didn’t seem to wanna leave.

Gabriel’s mood has been melancholy since they brought the remains of their lunch to the pier to munch. The sea god was looking pretty good in his open, black hawaiian shirt, and shorts but that was beside the point as Jack brought a hand up to gently stroke Gabriel’s back in slow, soothing circles. The kelp that made up Gabriel’s hair and arms was bleeding through, the magic he had was unable to properly utilize the materials when it had no issue for years. 

“Sorry. I know you're worried but… It’s embarrassing. “ Gabriel weakly chuckled out before taking a bite out of his fry and looking over at Jack. 

Jack looked at his lover with compassion and understanding as he nodded his head. “I just worry, is all.” He admitted somberly. “I haven't seen you so worn out before and… I just want to know of it’s just temporary or not…”

Gabriel smiled wistfully before shoving his hand into the bucket and pulling out a handful of fries. He plucked one out of his hand and held it up to Jack’s lips, smiling in approval when Jack wordlessly leaned over to eat the fry offered to him. 

“Manipulating two bodies is harder than I thought it would be.” Gabriel replied before picking out two fries from the pile in his hand and munching down on it. 

Jack simply plucked one from the bucket and tossed it down to the tuna far below them in the water. “... Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you, Gabe?” He asked, turning to look at Gabriel with genuine concern in his old, cybernetic eyes.

Gabriel frowned at that and shook his head. “I’m not leaving you alone until my soul gets to you, Jackie.” He remarked quietly before tossing his own fry out into the ocean. “I’m a god. I should be able to handle something like this…” Gabriel bitterly grumbled under his breath, full of resentment before shoving the handful of fries into his mouth.

It helped paint a more clear picture to Jack to see this uglier side to his partner. To understand the huge burden he put on his own shoulders by trying to make it seem like he doesn't compare himself to Poseidon, himself. That he was more human than God compared to the Greek pantheon at the height of their power…

At least, that was Jack hoped that was the problem. He wanted to think he knew Gabriel very Intimately but ultimately knew nothing of what it was like to be a god. Maybe his assumption was far off but now would not be the time to ask for clarification and Gabriel's history before they met.

Instead, Jack plucked a fry from the bucket and held it to his his partner's lips, watching as Gabriel took it without comment into his mouth. He was right here if Gabriel wanted to do more than feed each other (and the tuna) and enjoy the afternoon warmth together in comfortable silence. For now, Jack will just let Gabriel have his space.

\--

Several weeks later, Gabriel was staying solely out in the shallows, regardless of Jack’s insistence. He had no strength to hold himself together as a human anymore, even when perfectly awake. His magic failing in the puppet body the closer the newer one got, and it was hard for Jack to admit that this was just temporary pain he was feeling.

It felt like he was watching Gabriel slowly die.

He got dressed and ate breakfast quickly, fixing up their coffees in their respective thermos before heading out to the beach. Gabriel was sitting up exactly where Jack reluctantly left him the previous night; his body coralized into a human silhouette with his hair and arms reduced to dried strips of kelp branching from his scalp and shoulders. Only the kelp parts submerged in the water with the octopus limbs retained their color and health; The tide rolling them back and forth as Gabriel sat in waist-deep water. 

Jack carefully maneuvered his way over the many jagged rocks that became more and more exposed as the sandy beach continued to erode since it was deemed unsustainable for profit. He wore waterproof foot covers and the bottom half of his diving suit to keep his mechanical body dry as he hurried over as quickly as possible with a thermos in each hand. 

The sun was just rising in the distance with the sky filled with beautiful pinks and purples as he walked up to Gabriel and the old milk crate he left beside him. Jack groaned as he took a seat on the milk crate, glad for his (or Gabriel's) foresight the previous day because he would have completely forgotten about it in his mad rush to get to Gabriel's side first thing in the morning. His artificial ass would thank him later by looking like a checkerboard than have a deep dimple in each cheek when he headed in for lunch and such…

The waves gently rolled over Jack’s sufficiently covered legs, coming up mid-shin before pulling back out to the sea, and rested his feet on the large rocks scattered everywhere with barely any sand for cushioning. Jack shivered slightly as the cool morning breeze blew over him and reminded him to be thankful that he was wearing his sweater jacket to keep his top half warm while the wetsuit kept the rest of him comfortable. 

He glanced over at Gabriel to his right and watched as his facial features slowly sharpened with the remnants of magic the form still had. Gabriel’s eyelids opened shortly after they were formed with two tired brown eyes gazing out at the horizon for a long moment before moving over to Jack. 

“Mornin’, Gabe.” Jack spoke first, giving Gabriel the time he needed to form his lips and everything else for a bare minimum. 

Only Gabriel's lips remained two rough lumps instead of shifting into pale, but hyper realistic ones. It was a bit unsettling to Jack to see his lover basically be reduced to a voice-less chunk of rock but he did his best to not panic and make the situation more painful for Gabriel than it already was. He knew that his fading interaction with Jack was causing them both to fall into a state of helplessness but there was another of him on the way.

It wasn't death.

Gabriel wasn't dying…!

Jack clenched the thermos tightly in his hands as he tried to take slow, easy breaths through his nose. It was going to be okay. Nothing to get upset about. Gabriel was just exchanging bodies. A body he didn't know the current location on…

Something grabbed Jack’s ankle weakly, making the war veteran shriek out in a high pitch voice as he wildly flailed his legs. The thing on his ankle released him without a fight as Jack shot his legs out of the water and tucked himself on the safety of his crate. Was that one of Gabe’s tentacles touching him or some curious friend of his?

Jack’s eyes narrowed as he glared down at the water with his biotic eyes, knowing better to kick a curious shark or something if it was one of Gabriel's. The thing didn't bite or even pinch his ankle so odds were favorable of it being ‘friendly’ were rather high, especially with Gabriel right next to him.

Down in the knee deep water, Jack found himself looking at some oddly black, hair-like seaweed that was stretched out a good three feet at the base of his crate. Knowing better than to put his foot back down in the mystery plant that drifted over, Jack grumbled as he felt his butt digging in hard to the crate from the awkward posture, especially while holding two thermos.

“Do I even want to know what washed up over here?” Jack muttered under his breath before bringing up his thermos and taking a sip of the boiling hot concoction. Glancing over at Gabriel to see his reaction, Jack felt his heart sink a bit as he saw Gabriel’s eyes closed. “Rough day, huh.” He grumbled before looking back out at the horizon in the distance and let out a heavy sigh.

Something rose up from the water at his feet a few moments later, sending Jack bolting from his crate, dropping both thermos in shock as he tried not to get his feet stuck between the large rocks and fall over. He wasn't worried about whatever-the-fuck-that-thing-was hurting Gabriel since he was basically a bolder at that point but still turned back as he heard a loud wheeze coming from behind him. Jack’s heart was hammering in his chest, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he watched two large appendages flop on top of the milk crate, the dim lighting making it hard to see until Jack switched to infrared vision.

A warm heat signature of yellows and oranges filtered in from the two blobs on the crate, meaning that it was, indeed, a living thing he was looking at. As for what it was? Jack did not have a clue until the thing let out another loud, mammalian-like wheeze followed by a distinctly human-like coughing fit. The old cyborg switched back to normal vision and raced over cautiously, not wanting to subject himself to danger but also not wanting to let a water-logged swimmer go unaided, if it was human.

Jack felt his eyes widen as he drew closer and watched an abnormally huge man pull himself up to collapse chest-down onto the crate. The man’s body racked with fatigue and heavy panting as Jack maneuvered over to his side and quickly pulled the massive man over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He could not rest here where the ground was so inhospitable and so Jack took it upon himself to carry the heavy man with as much care as he could to head further inland towards the shack. The guy weighed MUCH more than Jack was used to, but, thankfully, Jack’s cybernetic enhancements could handle the extra strain for him as he moved as fast and carefully as he could.

Once he was past the rocks, Jack made the last trek to the shack, quickly taking out his keys with one hand and supporting the man’s weight against the wall, to get it open. He went across the shack and groaned as he deposited the man onto his bed. Ignoring the pain he felt from such a feat, Jack maneuvered the enormous man’s limbs to somehow try to get them to fit comfortably on the bed while also tossing the ridiculousness that was the seven feet of black hair trying to strangle and make Jack’s life more difficult. Why anyone thought it was safe to have such long hair and not even attempt to braid or manage it was beyond Jack’s comprehension!

At least Gabriel kept it as neat as he could and that was just his puppet body!

Collapsing to his knees in exhaustion, Jack let himself take a short breather to let his underutilized mechanical muscles to relax. He hadn’t put such an enormous strain on them in decades since the war. Not even when building the shack with Gabriel a few years back! To say they literally felt like they were on fire was an understatement…

“...Jeh…” A deep voice rumbled weakly from on top of the mattress, making Jack’s body literally seize up in a bone-deep state of fear. Jack’s blood went cold and goosebumps rolled over his remaining human flesh as he felt warm liquid run down between his legs. His instincts were that of a prey animal as his body refused to obey his commands to move, that doing so would make things worse.

That running would not prolong his chances of living in the slightest.

Another coughing fit from the very-much-NOT-human-thing broke Jack from his absence of thought. The incredibly deep and painful sounding hacks from the being Jack just saved made the elderly cyborg question if he might have made things worse by taking it out of the ocean. The length of wet black hair covering the wooden floor under Jack’s hands and knees reminded him of the monster jellyfish he had scene videos of on the net as a child, further reinforcing how unnatural this being was and the consequences Jack may face for interfering.

That bone-deep fear making much more sense to Jack when the coughing fit ended and the thing spoke once more.

“...Jackie…?”

Jack launched upwards onto his feet as he felt intense relief wash over him and looked down at the four brown eyes weakly looking up at him. 

A God.

He literally pissed himself hearing the voice of an ancient being and it made perfect sense why the Greeks subjected themselves to their wills. His Voice- Gabriel’s ACTUAL voice was enough to move heaven and earth, and Jack’s dormant awareness was very much overreacting to such a presence.

Yes, this was a God that deserved to be feared and worshipped, but, no, it was Gabriel!!

This massive, naked andonis barely fit himself on Jack’s comparatively small mattress! This four eyed, beautiful man held a very special piece of a god and hand delivered himself to Jack in the most incredibly humble manner as possible!

Jack found himself sobbing as he climbed into the bed and straddled his love’s waist, bending over to pepper the giant with kisses filled with adoration and gratitude. Gabriel groaned but did not fight the smile lifting the corners of his own lips as he gladly accepted Jack’s burst of affection. The chuckles that followed after made Jack’s heart beating in excitement. The realization that he gets to relearn his enormous partner’s body all over again did not slip his mind but knew that it was going to take some rehabilitation to get Gabriel back up to full strength again.

At least now he didn’t have to worry over his partner’s declining health with this new form to fawn over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! I managed to finish the fic before MerMay was over! Go me!
> 
> Anyways, did you enjoy the fic? Did you find it wholesome? I hope so!!
> 
> I kind of want to write a one-shot sequel with lorge bara Gabe taking Jack but I'll leave it to you guys to decide if that happens or not!
> 
> Please leave a review to let me know what you liked about the fic!!

**Author's Note:**

> I love this fic so much and wanted to get it towards the finishing line since I've slowly been working on it for a month.
> 
> Please leave a review if you like it so far! It's not a traditional mermaid fic but qualifies, especially with the next chapter!


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